Art of Anarchy Reveal Scott Stapp-Led Video for ‘The Madness’

Art of Anarchy revealed earlier this year that Scott Stapp would be handling vocals for the band moving forward, and we've got our first taste of Stapp fronting the group in what is primarily a performance video for "The Madness."

Speaking with Billboard, who premiered the clip, guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal explained that "The Madness" was one of the first songs written with Stapp being a member of the group. “Guitar-wise, it called for a theme that would feel a bit like a voice from a dark place, like a devil on your shoulder that keeps repeating itself," says Bumblefoot. "The lyrics describe personal challenges Scott overcame, giving a glimpse through his eyes as he describes the visuals and duality pulling you between ‘the madness,’ or the other side.”

The video was directed by Dan Catullo, who had a previous relationship with Stapp when he filmed Creed's 2009 DVD, Creed: Live. "Dan puts 110 percent in his work,” said Stapp of the director. “I thought he would be a great fit for our first video. He really understood the concept of the meaning of madness in a way that only someone who had experienced similar situations could understand. This video really gave the band its first taste of a live performance.”

For those who've followed Art of Anarchy, it's been an interesting journey to this point. The band arrived in 2015, featuring Bumblefoot, brothers Jon and Vince Votta and Disturbed bassist John Moyer, with Scott Weiland singing on their first single and album. But shortly after the band was announced, Weiland stated that he was not a member of the group and only helped out on vocals. That left the band without a singer with a new album ready to arrive, which complicated things until they met with Stapp.

“We met with Scott Stapp in August 2015, spent a few hours in a rehearsal room jamming on spontaneous ideas, grabbed dinner and talked about the future. The timing was right: We were looking for a singer; Scott was looking for a band," says Thal. The group, with Stapp now in place, is in the process of finishing up a new album that they expect to arrive in the spring of 2017. In the interim, you can look for the band playing their first-ever live show Oct. 27 at New York's Gramercy Theatre. Tickets can be purchased here.